Handle with concealed attaching screw

ABSTRACT

A flexible collapsible handle with hardware to attach the ends to a carrying case wall formed of brackets retained in caps by headed screws adapted to extend through the carrying-case wall and decorative means concealing the headed portions of the screws.

United States Patent Marton J. Szabo Broomall, Pa.

July 23, 1969 Mar. 23, 1971 Philadelphia Handle Company Inc. Camden, NJ.

lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee HANDLE WITH CONCEALED ATTACHING SCREW 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 16/115 Int. Cl. A47b 95/02 Field of Search 16/ l 15,

110, 116; 190/58, 57; l5l/4l.72

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,447,194 6/1969 Bush 16/115 2,347,219 4/1944 Schnell l5 l/4l.72 3,343,634 9/1967 Goldman et al. 190/58 Primary ExaminerFrancis K. Zugel Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman An0rney-McClure, Weiser & Millman ABSTRACT: A flexible collapsible handle with hardware to attach the ends to a carrying case wall formed of brackets retained in caps by headed screws adapted to extend through the carrying-case wall and decorative means concealing the headed portions of the screws.

HANDLE WITH CONCEAELED ATTACHHNG SCREW This invention relates to flexible handles adapted to be arched to a carrying position and flattened against a carryingcase wall to a non carrying position.

l leretofore, such flexible handles were attached to case walls by brackets with staked-in screws and caps secured over the brackets to enclose the same. To effectively accomplish this it was required that the bracket include curved side flanges or lips and the cap be similarly constructed and that these members be attached to each other at least at their corresponding side flanges which laterally confined the reduced slotted end of the handle too much and also limited the esthetic and decorative variability and appeal of the handle.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a flexible handle with attaching means which overcomes the abovenoted disadvantages.

Another object is to provide a flexible'handle with attaching means in which the bracket and cap are attached only be a headed screw whose threaded shank is adapted to extend through and be secured to a carrying-case wall.

Another object is to provide a flexible handle of the character described in which a decorative insert overlay is adhesively or otherwise secured in arecess in the cap to conceal thehead of the screw.

Yet another object is to provide an economical method of assembling and securing a bracket and cap by means of a headed screw and of concealing the head with a decorative member to produce an attractive attaching means for the ends of a flexible handle.

These and other objects of the" invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FlG. l is a fragmentary plan viewof a handle embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

H6. 3 is a-vertical sectional view, the screw being shown in elevation, of the cap, bracket and screw in the first stage of as sembly;

FIG. 4- is a view similar to FIG. 3 of the parts secured to each other with the decorative overlay shown ready for insertion to cover the screwhead; and

Fit]. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the parts secured together in their final position ready to receive an end of the handgrip and attach the same to a carrying-case cover.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

lndicated at til is a flexible collapsible handle of the type which contains an elongated handgrip portion 12 and reduced ends M with longitudinal slots 16 therethrough for slidably receiving an attaching screw. The handgrip may be made of a variety of materials, preferably resilient plastic suitably textured colored or decorated, or of a sheath of plastic through which extends, longitudinally, a leaf spring 118 which is coextensive with the handgrip and includes slots in registry with slots lid in the handgrip. g

The ends of the handgrip are attached to any carrying-case wall 28) by means of hardware 22 which is the subject matter of this invention.

An inner member or bracket 24 is provided in the form of a substantially L-shaped metallic member having a longitudinal plate 26, a depending flange 28 at one end and an upturned lip 3th at its other end forming an outwardly inclined rounded beveled edge 32. Centrally, the plate 26 includes an aperture 34 and an annular downwardly indented shoulder thereabout.

An outer member or cap 38 is provided which is preferably substantially rectangular, made of metal, and of a width approximating the widest dimension of the handgrip. Thecap has a pair of depending longitudinal side flanges dil and one end flange 42, the other or inner end being open. The top of the cap has a substantially rectangular downwardly recessed portion 44 having a central aperture as of the same diameter as the aperture 34 in the bracket and an annular downwardly indented shoulder 48 which is adapted to nest in the shoulder 36 of the bracket 26.

A screw is provided having a head 50 with a flat top and of thickness equal to the depth of the annular indented shoulder d8 of the cap, a smooth shank portion .52 therebeneath and a threaded portion 5d of reduced diameter which forms an annular shoulder 56 at the juncture of the two shank portions.

As shown in FIG. 3, the screw is extended through the aligned holes 34 and 46 respectively of the bracket and cap and the indented shoulders 36 and 48 thereof are nested with the head 50 of the screw seated in the indented shoulder Q8 and the flange 23 of the bracket adjacent the end flange 42 of the cap. By means of an appropriate tool applied around the shank of the screw and bearing on the shoulder 56, a force is applied thereagainst in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. to peen over a locking edge 58 annularly around the indented shoulder 36 of the bracket thereby securely locking all three members together. As will'be noted in F lG. t, when this occurs, the upturned edge 30 of the bracket presses against the corresponding edge 59 of the top of the cap to form a tight engagement of the members.

Finally, an overlay in the form of a substantially plat piece so which is substantially coextensive with the recess M at the top of the cap is affixed therein, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, to cover and conceal the screwhead 50 whose upper flat surface had been lying in substantially the same plane as that of the recess 44. The overlay piece may be made of metal, plastic or metal-clad material which matches or contrasts esthetically with the handgrip and is preferably affixed in the recess of the cap by adhesion.

To secure the handle on the case wall 20, the shanks of the screws are made to extend through the slots id of the handgrip and through appropriate holes in the wall thereto be retained by suitable closure nuts 62. To prevent rotation of the fixtures during tightening of the nuts and thereafter, the flange 28 of the bracket includes a pintle 64 which extends beyond the end flange 42 of the cap into a suitable opening in the case wall 20 as shown in H0. 2. When the handgrip is pulled up against action of its inherent resiliency or its spring l8, the handgrip arches up to its carrying position and the outer ends of the slots l6 abut the shanks of the screws; and when the handgrip is released, it is resiliently urged back to its noncarrying position substantially flat against the wall as seen in FIG. 2. In the flexing of the handgrip to the arched and flattened positions the bevel 32 engages the. reduced portion 14 and guides it while reducing wear.

While preferred embodiments have here been shown and described, it is understood that skilled artisans may make minor variations without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

l. in a handle having an elongated resiliently flexible collapsible handgrip; a means to attach the ends thereof to a carrying-case wall comprising a cap having depending side flanges, one end flange and an upper wall, a recess in said upper wall having an aperture therethrough, an indented annular portion around said aperture, a bracket having a substantially horizontal wall also including an aperture and an annular indented portion thereabout, said cap and bracket being assembled so that the indented portion of said cap nests in the indented portion of said bracket, a headed screw having a shank extending through said apertures and a head seated in the indented portion of said cap, an annular shoulder integral with said shank of said screw locking said shank to the underside of the indented portion of said bracket, and a decorative member coextensive with said recess in said upper wall oi said cap and secured therein and covering said screwhead, the shank of said screw adapted to extend through an end of the handgrip and into a suitable hole in a carrying case.

2. The combination of claim l wherein said shank of said screw includes a smooth portion beneath said head and a threaded portion of reduced diameter therebetween, said means.

5. The combination of claim 4 and an upturned lip on said horizontal wall of said bracket at the end thereof opposite its depending flange pressing against the corresponding edge of said cap forming a beveled guide edge adapted to engage an end portion of the handgrip during the raising and lowering thereof. 

1. In a handle having an elongated resiliently flexible collapsible handgrip; a means to attach the ends thereof to a carrying-case wall comprising a cap having depending side flanges, one end flange and an upper wall, a recess in said upper wall having an aperture therethrough, an indented annular portion around said aperture, a bracket having a substantially horizontal wall alSo including an aperture and an annular indented portion thereabout, said cap and bracket being assembled so that the indented portion of said cap nests in the indented portion of said bracket, a headed screw having a shank extending through said apertures and a head seated in the indented portion of said cap, an annular shoulder integral with said shank of said screw locking said shank to the underside of the indented portion of said bracket, and a decorative member coextensive with said recess in said upper wall of said cap and secured therein and covering said screwhead, the shank of said screw adapted to extend through an end of the handgrip and into a suitable hole in a carrying case.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said shank of said screw includes a smooth portion beneath said head and a threaded portion of reduced diameter therebetween, said locking shoulder being formed at the juncture between said smooth and threaded shank portions.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said decorative member is secured by adhesion to said upper wall of said cap in the recess thereof.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bracket includes a depending flange adjacent said end flange of said cap and a pintle depending therefrom adapted to enter an aperture in a carrying case to prevent rotation of the handle attaching means.
 5. The combination of claim 4 and an upturned lip on said horizontal wall of said bracket at the end thereof opposite its depending flange pressing against the corresponding edge of said cap forming a beveled guide edge adapted to engage an end portion of the handgrip during the raising and lowering thereof. 